The Beginning of the End
by murmur29
Summary: Lily and James are graduating from Hogwarts and are entering the crazy wizarding world. A story of their lives from graduation to facing the Dark Lord to Godric's Hollow.


Hello! This is a story that started as a one-shot which I posted on here called We Really Did it. That one-shot will end up in this story. I hope to finish this, but I am an incredibly slow writer so give me some time! I have some written so I will try to update quickly. THis story should go from the day of Lily and James' graduation to their last night in Godric's Hollow.

This is my first real story, please review and let me know what you think!

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The castle had an excited feel all around it. Spirits were high; exams were finished and for better or worse, grades came out today. This excitement was especially true for the 7th years who, after surviving through their N.E.W.T.'s, would find out their grades and officially graduates from Hogwarts.

It was a very hot June day, even at the early hour that found Lily Evans and James Potter waking up on a couch in the Gryffindor common room.

"James!" Lily said, being the first to wake and become aware of her surroundings. "James, you have to wake up. We can't be found down here, still in our clothes from yesterday. What would people say!"

James, who finally woke up due to Lily's shaking, opened his eyes to blearily look at the sleep-tousled red-headed witch sitting part way on his lap. "What would people say? Well I expect something about what a lovely couple we make, and blimey! I never thought about sleeping on one of those couches before, but you know what, that's just my opinion. Let's go back to sleep and find out in a few hours." He reached up and pulled off his glasses, which had been sitting very crooked on his nose, then reached out and tried to pull Lily back to him.

"But James, we're Heads. We can't set a bad example…" Lily started to protest but was cut off by James pressing a quick kiss to her lips before he spoke.

"Lily, this is your last full day as Head Girl of Hogwarts. Graduation later today, home on the train tomorrow. After that it's just us trying to figure out what we're gonna do in the world." He grinned at that thought, then gave Lily a wink that caused her to giggle. "Now Evans, do you want to spend your last day being the same good girl Lily Evans you were, be remembered as that red head who was _the_ James Potter's girlfriend, or do you want to do something wild for once, break some rules, and leave Hogwarts remembered as the awesome Lily Evans, Head Girl who went out with style, the one going with _the _James Potter?" He finished, eyebrow raised in question.

"_The_ James Potter, well," Lily said, pausing to tap her chin and think. "I've got it, definitely out-of-character for Head Girl Lily, be remembered as the only girl who ever broke up with _the_ James Potter…" she paused, letting that thought have time to sink in, then she burst into giggles, falling on to James' chest.

James began muttering, loud enough for Lily to hear, "Cheeky…Don't know if I _want _a girl like that…" than they were both laughing.

When their laughing subsided and Lily caught her breath, she sat back to look James in the eye. "I've got an idea, a very un-Lily-ish one." Lily whispered, leaning close so she could whisper in James' ear. "Let's go swimming." She said, looking very proud of her idea.

Swimming, James thought, Lily in a bikini. He liked that idea, but what about the squid… "In the Lake you mean?" he voiced his thoughts aloud, his mind on various sea creatures and various students and staff, all around and in the Lake on a hot day.

"Well that's an option, but" Lily said, and James couldn't help but notice a change in her tone, nor the way her hand was currently tracing patterns on his stomach drifting and circling his navel. "I was thinking more along the lines of that big pool in the head's bathroom, the one reserved for use only by the Head Girl and the Head Boy." She smiled sweetly at him, looking through her lashes.

James paused, letting the idea sink in. But before he got the chance to nod his approval, someone came bounding down the stairs from the boys dormitory.

"There you are Prongs! Wormtail's been up half the night worried about you, made me come look for you. I mean you didn't leave a note, took map and all. You could have been dead for all we knew!" Sirius Black said seriously as he walked into the common room and over to the adjacent couch and flopped down. Without breaking stride, he continued as though he hadn't just walked into the conversation. "Morning, Evans. I'd ask if you slept well but…" before he finished, James cut him off. While Lily blushed and attempted to hide behind her hair mumbling, 'I told you!'

"Shouldn't you go re-assure Wormy that I'm alive and well and all that?"

Sirius paused for a moment, the look on his face shifting to shock. "Oh, oh my," Sirius gasped out, raising his hand to his mouth, looking rather comical. "I'm interrupting something aren't I?" he then stood up, "I'll just, I'll just go…" he turned to the stairway, but didn't get more than two steps when his path was blocked by Lily, who stood up from the couch and James' lap.

"That's alright Snuffles, moment's gone." she said, patting his cheek. "I'll see the two of you in a bit, I'll meet you down at breakfast James." With that she walked to the stairs and headed to her dorm.

Sirius turned back and flopped back into the seat he had just vacated, and then turned to look at his best mate who was still sprawled out on the couch.

James let out a loud drawn out groan, "Sirius mate, you have the WORST timing."

Several hours later found both Lily and James out on the grounds with their friends after a lengthy breakfast. Lily was sitting on the far side of the lake, the sun warming her skin and her feet cooling in the water. She sat up, looking across at the four figures sitting opposite side of the lake under a tall tree. She saw a taller one reach over and push the smaller over causing him to roll almost to the lake, then the taller one, who Lily knew was Sirius, sudden fell and turned to glare (or that's what Lily suspected happened) at the boy beside him, and Lily knew who that was, even without the tell-tale glare from his glasses catching the light. Smiling, Lily pulled her feet from the water and leaned back, absorbing the chatter of her friends around her, and slowly her eyes began to droop.

Sometime later, Lily awoke, or she slowly became aware of her surroundings again, as the fog of sleep slowly faded away and the sounds from around the lake came into focus.

Mary was talking with someone quietly, someone else was giggling along with a deeper masculine laugh, Lily was confused, but the feel of a soft pattern being traced on the inside of her arm caused her to wake up fully, she turned her head slowly, peeling her eyes open she jumped than collapsed into giggles. When she had looked beside her, she had found herself nose to nose with James.

After she recovered she grabbed James' surprised face and kissed him. When they broke apart, James started to chuckle, Lily looked at him questioningly. In response he grabbed her arm, lightly pressing his hand on it, and then pulled it away revealing a white imprint of his hand that quickly turned red to match the rest of her arm. Lily groaned, throwing her free arm over her eyes.

"We'll stop in and see Pomfrey, she'll set you right before graduation." James said smiling; he leaned forward pressing his lips to hers again.

"Oi! James," Sirius shouted from where he was sitting by the lake. "Isn't that you mum's owl?"

James and Lily broke apart. He looked up and out over the lake where Sirius was pointing, and sure enough James spotted his mother's tawny owl drifting towards him. The owl, Fey, landed on the ground beside and hopped forward dropping a letter into his lap with a soft hoot. She spread her wings and took off circling the group before soaring out of sight.

James looked at the envelope, his second letter from his mother today, then down at Lily, she simply smiled and lay back down on the grass, giving James the time and privacy he needed to read his letter.

James finished reading his letter, his face scrunching in anger, he looked up then balled up the paper and threw it into the Lake, where it floated for a moment before a tentacle reached out of the surface and grabbed it. The group was silent, everyone looking between James and each other, confused looks on their faces.

James didn't pay attention to anyone else. He turned from the lake, his shoulders and head slumping down. Sirius cracked a joke, but neither James nor Lily heard it. The others went back to their separate conversations. James wandered back to Lily, who was still on the ground propped on an elbow, he sat down and after she laid down again, he lay with his arm thrown around Lily's waist, his head on her stomach. Her hand began running through his hair as she waited for him to speak.

Almost a quarter of an hour passed before James moved. He started by turning his head and placing a kiss on Lily's stomach, which caused her to giggle, then he pushed off the ground to his feet and reached down to help Lily up.

"Come on Red," he said giving Lily a wind. "Let's go visit Pomfrey to get you back to normal before we need to get ready to graduate.

The pair said goodbye to their friends and walked hand in hand up to the hospital wing. They were greeted by the young matron of the wing.

"Really! I thought I could pack away you bed Potter, with it being the last day. What did you do now? What's hurt?" Madam Pomfrey said, sighing and fussing around James trying to find injury.

James froze for a second then laughed, "Not me today Poppy! I figured I'd give you the last day off." Pomfrey smirked at James' use of her first name. "Just stopping for Lily today." He said, pulling Lily forward. "Just a quick burn relief draft and we'll be out of your way."

Madam Pomfrey nodded, stepping in front of Lily reaching a hand to touch her face and arms. "Fall asleep by the lake today dear?" Lily nodded. "Alright, just wait here, I'll be back with your potion."

Five minutes later, Lily and James were on their way to Gryffindor tower, Lily's skin slowly fading from red to pink and she knew, having lots of experience with sunburns, that her skin would be back to normal in a half hour time. She had three extra vials of potion in her pocket, given to her by Madam Pomfrey with the message that they were 'for until you get yourself set up' followed by a pat on the cheek as they left the wing.

Later that day, after the long graduation ceremony and end of the year feast were over, Lily was heading up stairs to her dorm so she could change out of her hot school robes. She entered the empty dorm, the last of her friends to make it back from the feast because of Head's duties, crossing the room to her bed she shrugged her hot robes from her shoulders and tossing them on the bed before turning to rummage in her trunk for something to wear.

A fluttering sound behind her caused her to turn, hovering above her bed was a folded piece of paper that was slowly shifting its shape, as Lily watched it shifted from a square to a heart, and as if it knew she was watching, it shifted to a flower and stopped, holding the shape in mid-air. She stepped around her open trunk and reached a hand towards the flower. As she touched it the flower began to fall, slowly enough for Lily to catch it. Lily looked at it, smiling. It must have been left on her bed and the spell triggered when her robes sent the paper into the air. She thought, no was sure, she knew who had left this for her, as the note sat in her hands it began unfolding, opening so she could confirm it.

My Dearest Lily,

I would love if you would agree to meet me to go for a walk around the lake tonight at 8. I promise you won't get caught out after curfew. Think of it as our last hurrah!

See you soon,

Love, James

P.S. I wouldn't be opposed to the option you suggested earlier though…maybe later.

Lily smiled and tucked the note away and rummaged through her trunk, finding a pale yellow sundress and pulling it over her head. She glanced at her watch, quickly ran a brush through her hair before she slipped her sandals on and headed out the dorm taking the steps quickly to the common room.

When she bounded into the room, half the occupants turned to stare at the head girl. Seeing nothing odd, most turned their attention back to their friends and activities. The only ones not to turn away were her friends as she began walking towards them Sirius gave her an appraising look then let out a wolf-whistle.

"Lookin' good, Evans!" he said in a raised voice, drawing the attention of the common room again, causing giggles to erupt form the younger girls, not an unusual thing when Sirius was in the room.

"Thanks Sirius." She said, still grinning. "What are you lot up to? And, where's James?" she looked at her group of friends. The girls she had shared a dorm with for the last seven years and the three boys who she had grown to care for as much, if not more than her own family.

"Well, we were planning on just hanging around the common room tonight, just playing games, whatever," Mary said, and before she could add more, Sirius added, "and Prongs said he needed to do some rounds or something until after curfew." Sirius had an odd look on his face, though he seemed very happy about something so Lily decided to ignore it as happiness about being done with school forever.

"Oh right," Lily said, silently thanking James, glad to have an easy excuse to leave. "I almost forgot, McGonagall wants us out, seems to think that there will be some big end of the year mischief of something. I mean with you lot contained I don't know what she's worried about." Lily laughed, and when her friends' slightly concerned looks told her that she was indeed rambling, she quickly got up and started heading towards the door. "Alright you guys, see you later." And with that she was out the door, heading towards the heads office then out to the lake.

James was nervous, well to be quite honest, he was not as nervous as he should have been tonight. James had planned on proposing tonight, at sunset beside the lake, under the tree where so much of their life had panned out: both the good and the bad. Since receiving the letter from his mother this morning, his plans had changed.

Sighing, James thought of his mother's letter, for the hundredth time today,

James,

I hate that I have to write this to you, as I know it will upset you, but I know time is of the essence in this situation. I know that we had talked, before your father's death, on the subject of Lily Evans. At the time, things did not seem as serious, both your feelings and the situation of the wizarding world. While your father and I had agreed to let you continue this relationship, I do not believe that either of us believed that it would last through the year.

I want to be clear; I do know that she is a wonderful girl. I will not sit here and make up lies to make my point. She is a delightful girl and would be a great addition to our family, if the circumstances were different. As you know, both your father and I were very active in the fight for muggle born rights, and I would have no problem having one for a daughter-in-law, but I cannot let it happen right now. With the trouble You-Know-Who is causing, including your father's death, I don't believe I have to tell you the danger it would put you in if you were to marry a muggle born.

I know you are probably angry at me for what I have written, but I cannot give you my permission or blessing to propose marriage to this girl. You will be home in a few short days, I will make sure we have time to talk more on this subject when you arrive.

Stay safe and congratulations on finishing Hogwarts, your father would be so proud of you.

Love,

Mother

"_The current circumstances" _James muttered to himself as he paced across the ground under the tree, "_the danger it would put _you_ in._ Pathetic mother, if you really think that is going to change my feelings, you obviously don't know your son anymore."

"Talking to yourself if the first sign of madness." A voice called out from the trunk of the tree. James turned quickly around, alarmed, but when he realized who was leaning against the tree he relaxed. Walking over to her he wrapped his arms around Lily.

"Well it wouldn't do to go mad now, not when I'm 'about to be released out onto the wizarding world'" James said, quoting the ministry wizard who had spoken at the ceremony earlier. Lily giggled.

"So, ready for that walk James?" Lily asked a smile still on her lips. He smiled in return, nodded his head and held out his arm so that she could link hers with his, which she did. The pair then turned and set off at a slow pace around the lake. Their walk was uneventful, just the pair talking about their friends and memories of their seven years at the castle, shared their nerves over now being officially part of the wizarding world. But most importantly they simply enjoyed being together.

Several hours later, after James successfully avoided all the teacher on duty, a habit picked up from years of wandering the castle after hours. The pair made it back to their common room where the pair joined their friends for one last night in the tower. They stayed up talking about the past seven years, eating food Peter and Sirius had brought up from the kitchens, and playing round after round exploding snap and gobstones.


End file.
